NCL to raise tips twice in 5 months

Gratuities paid to onboard staff onboard Norwegian Cruise Line's ships are going up for the second time in 2015.

Effective for all cruises starting on or after August 1, 2015, guests staying in any stateroom up to and including minisuites, will be charged $13.50 per day, per person. Suite guests will be charged $15.50 per day, per person.

In February, NCL increased daily service charges (DSC) from $12 to $12.95. The bump announced yesterday has raised the daily charge for gratuities by $1.50 per day, per person, in 2015, which is a difference of $10.50 on a week-long cruise.

For any traveler booked on a Norwegian voyage before July 31, 2015, daily service charges can be pre-paid at the current rate. Those who have already prepaid their gratuities at the current rate won't be affected.

The daily service charge is put on guests' bills automatically at the end of sailing. Passengers can remove automatic tips at guest services if they want so and substitute their own gratuities.

A multitude of changes has been announced at NCL within the past months. On Tuesday, July 14, Norwegian Cruise Line announced it would charge a la carte pricing in a lot of its specialty dining venues, beginning in 2016 fleetwide. In May this year, the line started charging a $7.95 room service fee (excluding Continental breakfast and coffee).